


It's Been Awhile

by edtheoddfish



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst, Cisco is sad, Drama, Hurt and comfort, Light Horror, M/M, Romance, light Violence, light gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-09
Updated: 2015-12-09
Packaged: 2018-05-05 19:12:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5387147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/edtheoddfish/pseuds/edtheoddfish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry Allen disappeared three years ago from Central City leaving Cisco at the altar.<br/>Prompt # 9 Reunited/Future AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Been Awhile

**Author's Note:**

> There is light gore when describing Barry's disappearance. Please read with caution if that freaks you out.

 

It had been three years since Barry Allen had left him at the altar. They had waited an hour in the giant ballroom located in the Central City Public Library, everyone standing around politely expecting Barry run in last minute, smiling and apologizing for being tardy. They all thought it was a big joke that Barry was late, even for his own wedding. It was a giant irony that the fastest man alive was tardiest as well. But then it wasn’t funny.

 

It would be over a thousand days since Barry ran from their life with no reason for why or where he was going. After being stood up on their wedding day and having to explain to two hundred plus people that Barry was gone, people started talking. Like they usually do. The rumors spread that Barry was running away from commitment, from the pressure of a public ceremony, and running from Cisco. The most callous justified Barry’s flight as a result of having a murderous father and a cause of growing up in a single parent household. It hurt hearing the rumors and the darkening of Barry’s image, but those closest assumed that Barry's disappearance was not about infidelity but something more serious. 

 

Iris and Joe immediately started searching the city using every resource the Central City Police Department could give them. Iris scoured every blog for recent sightings of The Flash or other possible connections metahuman connections. After a week Felicity traveled up to install a face searching algorithm on all of Central City and surrounding suburbs to search for Barry more effectively.

So many people in the city helped search for the disappearance of the young CSI assistant. The Picture News covered Barry’s disappearance constantly for six months. It was a combination of Iris’ writing and the scandalous nature of the event.

 

After six months of searching with no results the police department declared him a missing person, but because Barry was twenty-eight and was last seen the night before a high stress event; his search was no longer top profile. Most people were starting to believe that Barry had just ran. Because that’s what Barry did best. Run.

 

For those six months Cisco had recurring nightmares of all the things that could of happen to his fiancé that caused him to disappear. He dreamt of Barry bleeding out on the sidewalk. Red like their suit flooding the concrete and running down the sewer grates. He saw Barry being tortured by the mafia. Killing him in different ways each night.  Sometimes Cisco saw the Reverse Flash stabbing Barry through his chest reaching towards his the heart and pulling it out, his hand vibrating and dripping with blood as he laughed ending it all. He could see Barry’s beautiful green eyes going dull and rolling back in his head falling to the ground. This particular nightmare haunted Cisco the most.

 

Other nights he dreamed of Barry just running. Running and running as far as way from Central City as possible and stopping on the other side of the world. Which was a small city in China. He looked it up once. 

 

After nine months, Iris moved on. She stopped writing articles in the newspaper asking for leads on Barry's disappearance. She even started dating again. With sorrow chief Singh had to stop all further CCPD funds going towards the search for Barry. And Caitlin started working full time at Mercury labs. There wasn't a place for her at STAR labs anymore...

 

After a year Joe stopped looking too. The year had aged him greatly. Losing a son was an unbearable pain that Cisco couldn't relate to. Joe came over occasionally with large containers of soup and sandwiches. Reminding Cisco to eat and to self-care. He was appreciate of, but Joe’s soup tasted nothing like Barry’s.

 

There was also a huge void in the city. No more Flash saving people from fires and car accidents. No more vigilante taking care of angry metahuman who were wronged by the particle accelerator. And no more Flash giving the city hope. Within a year crime was up by 30%. Oliver came up occasionally to calm down the gangs. But it wasn't the same.

 

Cisco never stopped looking. There had to be clues or leads explaining Barry's disappearance. He knew Barry, Barry wouldn't have ran out on their wedding night if he didn't have a damn good reason. There was no leads on Barry's cell, credit cards, and more importantly no one where on the web could Cisco find any leads on a yellow streaking. Where did Barry Allen go?

 

It was day one thousand, one hundred and sixteen of Barry Allen's disappearance when Cisco heard a loud mechanical noise from the depths of STAR labs. He hesitated texting Caitlin after the last time that he called everyone over to STAR labs and nothing happened. He didn’t want to see their looks of pity and false hope again. Three years was a long time to reopen unsolved tragedies.

 

Cisco turned off his playlist, a comprehensive song collection of Lady Gaga and other of Barry's favorites. 

 

The lights were dimmed and his steps echoed through the empty hallways. Cisco's breath was shallow, but his chest was heavy. He just wished so hard that it was Barry in the halls coming back from a mission. He could almost see Barry in a blue sweat shirt skipping next to Cisco as they talked about upgraded tech.

 

Another corridor, and the wheezing of a machine got louder. He could remember the time he pushed Barry against the cold wall. His hands running under Barry's sweatshirt to brush against warm skin. Them laughing and kissing completely carefree. He remembered the moments of them holding their breath, the possibility of being found out by Caitlin or Dr. Wells. Then the laughter of holding their breath too long. Cisco could remember these memories perfectly.

 

Only a few more turns. The memories weren't as great further down into the core of the particle accelerator. His stabbing in the lost timeline and everything dealing with the nasty Eobard Thawne. The pain he felt for Barry because of this man.

 

He was shaking before he got to the depths of the Particle Accelerator. Which no longer housed metahumans or was occupied by dimension skippers. The singularities had disappeared around the time Barry had left. Leaving STAR labs empty. A perfect metaphor for how Cisco felt without Barry.

 

He heard another loud crash from the accelerator then a large cry of pain. He was running but immediately stopped, unprepared for the giant heap of Barry Allen lying in the floor. Cisco immediately ran to Barry. This wasn’t actually happening. After three years, the love of his life was back literally in the basement of where he was last seen.

 

“Barry! Barry!” Cisco yelled trying to lift Barry into a sitting position. Barry’s clothing was slightly singed and his face cut, bleeding above his brow. Barry was pale but overall looked the same. Barry’s eyes opened and they were as green as Cisco remembered. Flecks of light blue and brown highlighting his eyes while adding immense depth that he used to spend hours loosing himself in.

 

They made eye contact and before he could even ask any questions Barry had dragged himself up and wrapped his arms around Cisco’s neck. Burying his face in his shoulder and eye’s rapidly fluttering. Cisco shivered at the sensation of Barry’s eyelashes fluttering against his skin, the warm feeling of having the love of his life in his arms again. It was surreal. Barry was breathing fast and his entire body was shaking. As soon as the embrace started, he started sobbing long full body shutters that vibrated through Cisco’s whole body.

 

There were no words, just cries of agony and the tightest hug he had ever received. Cisco’s wrapped his arms around Barry’s torso. His entire body felt numb each point of contact with Barry on fire. They stayed locked together sitting on the ground for what seemed like hours. Waiting for the worst of the cries to end.

 

The sobs started to calm, their bodies stiff from the embrace. But Cisco couldn’t let go. There was too high of a chance that if he did Barry wouldn’t be real. That this was just another nightmare where Cisco would wake up in a full sweat, in an empty bed, completely alone. He didn’t dare let go and it didn’t seem like Barry was trying to leave either.

 

“Cisco.” Barry spoke and it was the first time in three years. His entire heart felt on fire, it felt like his stomach was being stabbed and he couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t even image what Barry could say that would justify all the late nights and missed meals trying to find him. Where could he have gone?

 

“Cis, I. On the night. “Cisco waited for Barry to finish or start a sentence but each time he did Barry started hiccupping. “On the night before our.” Barry paused. “Our wedding. I ran through a portal in space.” Cisco wanted to laugh. But instead he closed his eyes. Being in a different dimension would explain the entire void left by Barry Allen after his disappearance. The lack of communication or trail. He simply didn’t exist on this Earth anymore.

 

“I landed in what I think is Earth 2. I spent the last three years trying to come back I—“Barry started to cry again and Cisco started to hum softly into Barry’s shoulder trying to sooth his tears. He was relieved that Barry didn’t run away from him from their future life together. That he wanted to come back and maybe he still loved him as much as he did three years ago.

 

“Barry, I’ve been looking for you for so long. I thought you were dead. “And Barry had stopped crying but his body still shaking and hiccupping against Cisco. It felt so good to have Barry back in his arms. The warm vibrating heat against his. Like it should be. He inhaled into Barry and he smelled like he did three years ago. Like faint cologne and adrenaline.

 

“I was lost. On the other world STAR labs wasn’t ready to build a trans-dimensional portal. I had to build one from scratch with you.” Cisco looked up into Barry’s bloodshot eyes. Barry had been with Earth II him, how close were they? Was Earth II him also in love with Barry?

 

“Well the other you.”

 

“Was he as good looking as me?” Cisco said and it felt like he could laugh with Barry. Because despite all of the chaos and trauma, Barry hadn’t done anything wrong. If he was looking as hard as he was, then the last three years was as equally painful. Barry softly laughed and Cisco sat up adjusting their huddled embrace on the hard floor. He strained his neck up as Barry leaned down so that their lips were millimeters away. Less than the width of a feather between them.

 

“No.”

 

And the distanced closed. Their lips meet and instantly Cisco felt the familiar shock of Barry Allen’s lips touching his. Barry was barely touching him and he could already feel the waves of regret and sorry flowing between them. Cisco reached up to cradle Barry’s face between his hands. Gently wiping away the remaining tears from his long eyelashes and deepening the kiss. They took their time, after all, now they had all the time in the world.


End file.
